Thin-walled pipe formed of copper, steel, plastic, or other material, is used extensively in plumbing, heating and ventilating, electrical installations, and other construction trades. Although occasionally flexible, most cylindrical piping is generally rigid and must be cut to size to conform to the geometry of the building structure or installed apparatus with which it is to be employed.
Although fine tolerances are usually not required, pipe must be cut with some accuracy to ensure acceptable joints and performance.
Typically, the desired length of pipe is obtained by measuring with a tape measure or ruled line a predetermined distance from the cut end of a pipe stock, marking the desired length with a grease pencil or blade, positioning a pipe cutter with radially adjustable cutting edge about the pipe, adjusting the cutting edge to bear on the pipe wall and rotating the pipe cutter to traverse the periphery to the tube to cut off a segment of pipe.
Pipe cutters are known which employ rigid fixtures or attached ruling bars to allow pipes to be cut to a preset length. However, these devices are cumbersome and are not suited for portable use.
What is needed is an apparatus which is conveniently portable and which may be conveniently utilized by a tradesman to both measure a length of pipe and cut it to a desired length.